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New-look railway seen from the air

These aerial pictures show the changing shape of the railway in the heart of London.

They show from the air the £6.5 billion Thameslink rail project, which connects Brighton and Gatwick Airport with central London and stations north of the Thames, including Luton Airport and Bedford.

When complete in 2018, the massive Thameslink investment programme will give passengers new, more spacious trains running through central London every two to three minutes and improved connections to more destinations.

At the heart of the programme is Britain's biggest station redevelopment - the complete rebuilding of London Bridge. In the shadow of the Shard, London's fourth-busiest station is currently subject to a nine-day part-closure.

More than 50,000 passengers who normally travel into London Bridge in the morning peak hours are having to use alternative routes to work, with a further 250,000 passenger journeys affected by the knock-on effects, with alternative routes busier than normal.

The result will be a station with the largest concourse in the country - bigger than the pitch at Wembley Stadium - with more space and better facilities.

The part-closure ends on Sunday with a full service resuming on Monday. The work has been carried out during August as passenger numbers are lower than normal, keeping disruption to a minimum.

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